1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improvement in explosive devices or fuzes having utility in projectile and mine munitions and other classes of ordnance and which contain a pressure and/or shock sensitive primary explosive liquid that is desensitized with a volatile solvent for safe handling, transportation and storage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Projectile, mine and other ordnance-type munitions have been widely used for centuries. The final functioning of the munition is controlled by an explosive device that is commonly termed a fuze. A fuze normally has elements to set off the munition, to prevent its premature functioning, and to cause it to function as desired only under predetermined conditions. These conditions determine the type of fuze that is needed, for example, an impact fuze or a contact fuze, a general requirement of fuzes for setting off munitions being, however, that they normally be inactivated or desensitized for safe handling, transportation and storage.
An impact fuze is one which functions as it hits the target. A particular requirement of this type of fuze, as applicable particularly to projectile munitions, is that it remain desensitized until seconds only or some other very short interval, before detonation; a concomitant requirement of the associated munition is that it be detonated in a relatively desensitized condition thereby to avoid detonation thereof as a result of being hurled or shot forward from a gun.
A contact fuze is one which functions when it is contacted, struck or crushed by another body. A requirement for this type of fuze, as applicable particularly to mine munitions, whether for use on land or sea, is that it remain desensitized for a predetermined delay period of substantial duration after being activated or armed. This is to allow sufficient time for safe departure from the scene of the parties placing and activating the mine.
In recent years the construction of these types of fuzes have become very complex, expensive and prone to corrosion. There thus exists a demand or a need for a very simple fuze, desirably one having a minimum of movable parts and no springs and which need not be made of metal.
For use with projectile munitions, there exists a need for such a simple fuze that will remain desensitized until a very short time, seconds or less only, before activation or arming. For use with mine munitions, there exists a need also for such a very simple delay arming fuze that need not be made of metal.
Liquid or chemical explosive devices requiring no moving parts have been proposed in the prior art. Such devices, however are maintained for safe handling, transportation and/or storage in a desensitized state by immersion in a specified volatile liquid. Upon removal from the volatile liquid and evaporation of absorbed volatile liquid from the device over a period of time, the device becomes armed. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,388 and 3,750,527 to R. W. Heinemann. The need to immerse the device in a volatile fluid to make it safe for handling and storage renders the device undesirably complex and expensive as well as making it unsuitable for use in some applications such as projectile munitions applications.
In another form of chemical explosive device that has been proposed in the prior art, there is provided a compartmented cartridge having a different non-explosive liquid component in each compartment. Mixing of the different non-explosive components forms a liquid explosive material and arms the explosive device. U.S. Patents disclosing such devices are U.S. Pat. No. 2,426,269 to N. M. Hopkins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,293 to E. Major, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,061 to D. L. Mansur et al. Such devices also are undesirably complex structurally and are also expensive because of the requirement for mixing of liquid components to arm the device.
While liquid explosive devices have been common in commercial and military applications for a great many years, there thus still exists a need for a simple liquid explosive device that remains desensitized until seconds before detonation, as well as a liquid explosive device that is intended to be detonated in a relatively desensitized condition.